Posts tagged joint

This post speaks to the problem of sticking piano keys. There are usually about 6 spots to check on any piano if a note is not returning to normal playing position. But before we get into the mechanical, think of the obvious… is it getting blocked? I mean… believe me when i say i’ve seen LOTS of things inside pianos. Here’s my list thus far: pencils & pens, toys, hair pins and bands, sheet music, tools, rubber bands, paper clips, coins of various sizes, ladies press on nails (ewww… that kinda creeped me out finding that one… especially since i got the piano from a home where she had died), believe it or not metronomes and decorative piano blankets. Hmmm have i missed anything? So make sure it’s not getting blocked.

Once you’ve determined that it’s not blocked or broken, however, there’s a REAAAALLY good chance friction is to blame. Usually the hammer FLANGE is the culprit – it’s the joint connected to the hammer. About 80% of the time there’s wayyy too much friction on that joint and the centre pins need replacing. Two other joints – the action flange (flange is just another word for joint BTW) and the whippen (repetition lever) also have jointed parts. Any time you introduce a joint, you also have potential for problems. So that makes up 3 of the problem areas. Then the key stick has two bushings – each of which could also have too much friction. And finally, the key slip – the rail in front of the key sometimes catches on the front of the key. Invariably it’s one of the 6 parts. How do you go about fixing it? Hahaaaa… i didn’t mention i would give the solution… only the cause of the problem. MOST problems can’t be fixed without a technician. Sure you can look down inside and see if there’s something obvious but if it’s not… you need to get an expert in to address the problem.